Voice of a Generation

Patti Smith’s move in 1967 from suburban New Jersey to rebellious New York City was one of the seminal migrations in rock ’n’ roll history. Before long, she was living with Robert Mapplethorpe, helping to shape the nascent punk movement, and inspiring a new generation of musicians with her 1975 masterpiece, Horses. In 1980, Smith retreated from the spotlight and moved to Michigan to raise a family with her husband, MC5 guitarist Fred “Sonic” Smith. But after his death, in 1994, she made a comeback, and brought photographer Steven Sebring along for the ride. Related: “Tales of Mother Rock,” by Clive Davis.

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Sebring took this shot of Smith performing in Tokoyo in 1997, two years after she returned to the stage.

Smith named her 1930s-era Gibson “Bo.” When she was living at the Chelsea Hotel, in New York City, she would allow her musician friends to admire the beauty of the relic before asking them if they wanted to play it. Bo has been tuned and played by many, including Dylan.

CBGB’s, in downtown Manhattan, was at the center of New York City’s punk scene. Smith is pictured during a concert there in 1997, nine years before the venue was closed and she played the final show there.

Sebring took this photograph of Smith at Coney Island in 1996, just as she was making her comeback. Years before, she and photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, who took her portrait for the cover of Horses, would go there just for Nathan’s hot dogs.